Chicago bills tourism group $350,000 for NFL draft expenses
CHICAGO (AP) - The city of Chicago is asking the private tourism agency that organized the NFL draft for $350,000 in payments for police overtime and other expenses.
The Chicago Tribune reports (http://trib.in/1W2y2TP ) Choose Chicago has said it would pay the bills by the end of the year. The city billed the nonprofit agency about $215,000 earlier this month for police, fire and other services. Officials say the city also will bill about $136,000 for Office of Emergency Management costs.
The three-day NFL draft and outdoor fan festival was this past spring in Chicago's Grant Park.
Choose Chicago officials say funding for the draft was privately raised. The group says it cost about $4.5 million to help put on the draft. It says the draft produced $6.5 million in state and local taxes.
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Information from: Chicago Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com